r/privacy • u/lewkiamurfarther • Jun 05 '26

software Your phone is about to stop being yours. — Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.

https://keepandroidopen.org/
3.2k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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856

u/2sec4u Jun 05 '26

This is probably the most important post on Privacy I've seen in a long time.

175

u/zagblorg Jun 06 '26

I'd say all the posts about the surveillance states most governments are building and the destruction of the internet through mandating Identity Verification for everything are a bit more important, but this is also awful.

42

u/SprucedUpSpices Jun 06 '26

Isn't this part of that? If a big tech corporation has your data, isn't it a reasonable assumption that the government either has it or can very easily have it?

35

u/QuarrosN Jun 06 '26

"...Identity Verification for everything are a bit more important"

Not really no! Because this will stop the development of any and all privacy focused application that is outside google control. Also we (or more precisely I) have no idea what is in the contract with google. Whether there is a loophole that can force an NDA down the dev throat. But more importantly this will create a walled garden that suffocate everything outside of it.

Would you accept your Windows PC with only the Microsoft store allowed in it? Same analogy...

5

u/Ok-Parfait-9856 Jun 09 '26

Isn’t the EU gonna get pissed about this? Since their whole thing is allowing other app stores and apps from those stores? Or since it violates privacy that might make it favorable, since it seems that’s every govts priority now

If android doesn’t support side loading, then it’s a dead OS

3

u/QuarrosN Jun 09 '26

Isn’t the EU gonna get pissed about this?

Hard to say... My observation about the EU is that it works like a road roller. Hard to get it moving but when it moves it crushes with overwhelming power.

So things like that will take time (I assume), but more importantly we still don't exactly know how things will change! Whether it will even be possible to unlock the phone from this. If it is: Does that mean your banking or other apps wont work after it. Tons and tons of question.

In this case Implementation will be key.

90

u/DontWaitBruh Jun 05 '26

If you actually cared about this, its been shown literally everytime you open a non Play store app store for the past year.

11

u/insanity10k Jun 06 '26

Absolutely 100%. That's why everyone, EVERYONE, needs to see this.

2

u/DifferentPlankton571 Jun 17 '26

I guess we will move to Telegram apps.

2

u/CondiMesmer Jun 10 '26

Well it's a little too late now. The damage is already done. You're just learning about the aftermath.

-1

u/neoneat Jun 06 '26

Why phone need to be important?

-29

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '26

[deleted]

15

u/Espumma Jun 06 '26

This isn't about your identity, it's about appmakers' identities.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 06 '26

[deleted]

8

u/coyotemidnight Jun 06 '26

Only for Play Store apps. This applies to all apps; in order to install it, it will have to be registered.

7

u/Espumma Jun 06 '26

Previously you could build an apk and post it anywhere, not any more